It is difficult to go from 3 celcius to 30 celcius, and figure out what to pack. Landing in Port Au Prince, you know right away that you're in a third world country; but this is not like some third world countries, because Haiti is not cheap. There is no infrastructure for tourists, which means that taxi drivers and 'guides' can charge whatever they want. I spent way too much money on my first day in Port au Prince; an expensive taxi ride into town, an expensive hotel, an expensive guide - all in the poorest country in the Americas.





The city itself is a sprawling mess of torn up roads and stout buildings; no towers here. It feels a great deal like a colonial town, especially with a big clean looking white palace, surrounded by a fence, right in the middle of the impoverished city. And don't forget the shanty towns - massive slums on the edge of the city which house perhaps half of its population.
I knew that people would approach me to act as my guide, and I was actually okay with this - what better way to start out in a city than with a guide?
But he sucked honestly, for the price he demanded. I'm not getting another guide for the duration of my stay here. Still, having a guide for your first day isn't a bad idea.




Port Au Prince is truly impoverished; people everywhere, garbage everywhere; no street lights. An endless amount of paperwork to change traveller's cheques. It is very hot, but not too humid; and even though there were other white people on the plane, they all seemed to disappear when I arrived in town - leaving me as the only white guy in sight. Crime? Maybe, but I'd prefer not to find out. However, Port au Prince definitely has an 'unsafe' feel about it - there is that feeling that anything can happen to you when you are walking the streets of Port au Prince. Your fate is in your very own hands.

Jacmel
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* A full account of my visit to this country is available in my yet to be published book, Means To An Exit. If you are an agent or publisher and would like to receive an outline and manuscript, please Contact Me.